The present invention relates to a conveying apparatus for a textile unwinding machine.
In a textile winding operation, a yarn package comprising yarn wound on a cylindrical tube is disposed at an unwinding location for unwinding of the yarn from the yarn package and winding of the unwound yarn onto another yarn package. A yarn end, which may be already disposed in a preferred preliminary disposition or disposed at some random location relative to the yarn package, is loosened, if necessary, and engaged by a yarn engagement device which feeds the yarn end to a splicing device or other yarn feeding device for winding the yarn onto the other package. One known yarn package transport assembly for transporting yarn packages to the unwinding location includes individual tube support members each having an upright component compatibly configured with the inner diameter of a cylindrical tube for snugly receiving a tube inserted thereon. The tube, and the yarn built thereon, is then supported in an upright disposition for transport to, at and from the unwinding location.
To initially loosen a yarn end from a yarn package, it is known to provide a gas guide chamber which encloses the yarn package to guide jet streams of gas introduced into the chamber into a helical gas flow which acts to loosen the yarn end. The gas guide chamber may be configured as a cylindrical tube having nozzles for introducing the jet streams of gas in inclined tangential directions against the package. The initial loosening of a yarn end from the yarn package is facilitated by tilting the yarn package into engagement with the inner wall of the gas guide chamber in correspondence with the introduction of the jet streams of gas into the gas guide chamber. Accordingly, the need exists for an assembly for supporting a tube support member at the unwinding location which facilitates the operation of a device for tilting a yarn package. Additionally, the need exists for a support assembly which transports tube support members with yarn packages supported thereon to and from the unwinding location which facilitates yarn package tilting operations.